This is a full report for the digital audio release of:
Artist: Alice (Italian singer, born Carla Bissi)
Album: Azimut
Year: 1982
Genre: Pop / Art Pop / Synth-pop
Format: FLAC
Resolution: 16-bit / 44.1 kHz (standard CD quality)
Yes. While high-resolution audio (24-bit/96kHz or 192kHz) exists for some modern recordings, Azimut was originally mastered for vinyl and CD. The master tape’s effective resolution does not exceed 16-bit/44.1kHz. In fact, many audiophiles argue that 16/44 FLAC is transparent to the original master – meaning no human ear can distinguish it from a higher-rate file in blind testing. Purchasing a 24-bit version of a 1982 analog recording is often placebo marketing.
The key is that the FLAC must come from a properly ripped CD or a lossless digital storefront (like Qobuz or 7digital), not a transcoded YouTube download. Alice - Azimut -1982 Pop- -Flac 16-44-
| Parameter | Value | |------------------------|-------------------------------| | Sample rate | 44.1 kHz | | Bit depth | 16 bit | | Codec | FLAC (Level 5–8 typical) | | Channels | 2 (stereo) | | Average bitrate | ~700–900 kbps (VBR) | | Dynamic range | Typically good (DR10–DR13) for this era | | Spectral analysis | Clean cut at 22.05 kHz (proper anti-aliasing) | | No DC offset / clipping | Expected properly mastered |
The keyword suffix “-Flac 16-44-” is not random. It refers to the Red Book CD standard (16-bit resolution, 44.1 kHz sampling rate). Here is why that matters for Azimut:
FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) is the ideal container because it reduces the file size by roughly 50% without throwing away a single bit of data. It is the archival standard. This is a full report for the digital
Azimut (the Italian word for Azimuth, the horizontal angle in navigation) is a fitting title. The album feels like navigating by the stars—lost, yet precisely where you need to be.
Produced by the legendary Franco Battiato and Giusto Pio, the record moves away from traditional Italian cantautore tropes and dives headfirst into minimalism. The synths are cold, the basslines are hypnotic, and Alice’s voice—crystalline, fragile, yet incredibly disciplined—floats above the mix like a ghost.
Beyond the technical specs, Azimut remains a hauntingly beautiful album that predates and predicts much of dream pop, trip-hop, and ambient pop. Artists like Goldfrapp, Björk, and Julia Holter owe a debt to Alice’s fearless blend of electronic textures and classical vocals. Is "16-44" Good Enough for Azimut
In 2022, the album received a critical reappraisal when Pitchfork (in a rare move covering Italian music) listed Azimut as one of the "Best Experimental Pop Albums of the 1980s." The reissue vinyl sold out within days.
Listening to Azimut in FLAC 16-44 is not about chasing numbers – it is about hearing Franco Battiato’s analog synthesizers sweep across your speakers without digital artifacts. It is about Alice’s breath control on "Prospettiva Nevski" remaining intact. It is about experiencing a moment of European musical history as the artists intended.